Twister frame



Aug. 30, 1932. I MARSH 1,874,325

TWISTER FRAME Filed March 18, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 30, 1932.

-H R. MARSH TWISTER FRAME Filed March 18 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE HENRY nonnnrfntnnsn. or "WAL'I'HAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR ro SACO-LOWELL snors, or BosroN, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or MASSACHUSETTS TWISTERJ FRANCE A pplicatioufiled man 18, 1931. .Serial No. 523,417.

This invention relates to twister frames and is more especiallyconcerned with that particularly pointed out in theappendedclaims.

Inthe drawings, .7 m f;

Figure 1 is a vertical, sectional iview,-somewhat diagrammatic in character, illustrating a twister frame embodying features of this invention; e

Fig. 2 is a plan viewofthe spindle driving mechanism indicated in Fig. 1;. and' Figs. 3 and 4: are plan views illustrating additional spindle arrangements.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the arrangement there shown comprises two up per spindles, 2 and 3,respectively, and, two lower spindles4 and 5. The individual members of each of these pairs of spindles are lo cated at opposite sides of the machine frame from each other. Eachof the upper spindles is designed to support a spool or other yarn body or package from which the supply of hereinafter referred to as yarn) is drawn.

eferring first. to the units at the right-hand side of the frame, Fig. 1, it will be seen that the yarn unwound from the supply package S on the spindle 20f the upper twisting mechanism is fed continuously to the lower twlsting mechanism of which the spindle 4: forms one element. For thispurpose the yarn is led from the supply. package Sf upwardly over a guide roll 6, thence around and between upper and lower feedrolls 7 and8,-re-.

spectively, and throughthe guide eye 9 to the traveller :10 running onthe (ring 12 carried by the-ring rail 13. 'Thisring is operv yarn, thread, or other material-to be twisted atively associated with the spindle 4 in the usual manner. In a typical arrangement the at a high speed, and consequently, as the yarn is drawn from the package S it is twisted, the degree of twist depending fun- 7 damentally upon the ratio of the speed of the spindle 2 to the feeding speed of the rolls 7 and 8. The lower twisting mechanism operates likeany ring twister, taking the .yarn from the feed rolls, twisting it and winding it on the spool 01' bobbin P to produce another thread package. Inthis mechanism'. alsothe amount of twist put into the yarn depends fundamentally on the ratio between the delivery speed of the rolls 7 and 8 and the speed of revolution of the spindle 1. Usually it is preferable to mount a freely rotating traveller 16on the spindle 2 to be engaged and driven by the yarn in order to reduce the tendency of the yarn to kink as the spindle 2 slows down in stopping the machine to piecefup, or for. any other reason.

As the yarn travels from the, upper twisting mechanism to thelower it may be guided. around a roll or rod 14 located in a water pan 15. This operation of wetting the yarn between twistingoperations may or may not beused, as desired. i

The arrangement just described at the right-hand side of the machine is duplicated at the opposite side, the corresponding parts being designated by the same, but primed, reference characters.

This general arrangement has proved to able, however, to maintain constantly a def inite speed relationship between each of the upper spindles and its cooperating lower spindle, and. an important feature of the present invention resides in a simple reliable driving mechanism for the spindles which accomplishes this object.

This mechanism includes a driving drum 18 which extends longitudinally of the machine frame, as in twister frames of the usua1 constructions, and may consist of the common tin cylinder. Mechanism, not shown, but customarily located at one end of the frame, drives this cylinder. The cylinder is located between and at a lower elevation than the lower pair of spindles 1 and 5, the uppermost surface of the cylinder preferably being slightly below the level of the whirls of the two spindles 4 and 5. A tape or band 20 is driven by the drum 18 and runs in contact with the whirls of all of-the spindles 2, 3, 4 and 5 so that it drives them all in the same direction. Starting from the whirl'on the spindle l, it'will be seen that the tape travels over a guide roll or tension roll 21 to the drum 18, runs partly around this drum, and thence to a guide pulley 22 located above the drum 18 and between the upper pair of spindles 2 and 3. From the pulley 22 the tape runs around the whirl of the spindle 3, thence across the frame 2 and around the whirl of the spindle2, back to the guide pulley 22 again, and'thence' to the driving drum 18. It runs partly around the drum, thence over a second guide or tension pulley 23 to the whirl of the spindle 5, and then across the frame in a straight run to the whirl of the spindle 4.

The tape thus gets a double grip on the driving drum 18, which tends to prevent slippage, and it drives all of the spindles in unison. If the whirls on the spindles are of the same diameter they will all be driven at the same speed. This arrangement usually is preferred, but if desired, the whirls of the' upper spindles could be made of a diameter different from that of the whirls of the lower spindles so as to drive theupper spindles at a diiferentspeed from that of the lower spindles.

An approximately uniform tension is malntained on the tape by the tension pulleys 21 and 23, these pulleys being pivoted at 24 and 25, respectively, and the swinging frame which carries them being weighted, as in prior constructions, to'swing both pulleys inwardly toward the drum 18 and thus to cause them constantly to tighten the tape and to take up slack automatically.

The proper guiding of the tape to and around the various whirls and pulleys is facilitated by locating each of the upper spindles 2 and 3 in line, respectively, with the lower spindles at the opposite sides of the frame from them. The two spindles in line are in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the drum 18. This relationship is illustrated in Fig. 2. It will be understood that in Figs. 1 and 2 only those spindles driven by a single tape are shown, but that a twister frame will includes a line of these units all arranged in the same general manner and all driven from the drum 18.

This arrangement not only provides a simple and very reliable drive for the spindles, but it also facilitates the change from a right-hand to a left-hand drive, it simply being necessary to reverse the direction of arranged to engage the upper flange of the whirl of the spindle. A brake mechanism somewhat like that just described is provided for the whirl of the'upper spindle 2 and comprises a rocking lever 32 carrying a brake 33 to engage the whirl. In order to operate both brakes simultaneously'they are connected together by means of a link 34:, bell crank lever 35, and an adjustable link 36. Consequently, when the operator wishes to stop the spindles 2 and 4, she simply presses her knee against the lever 30, thus applying both brakes 31 and 33 substantially simultaneously and bringing both spindles to a stop at approximately the same time. This does not, however, stop the operation of the other pair of spindles 3 and 5, the tape slipping on the whirls of the spindles 2 and 4 so long as they are held against rotation. When the piecing up operation has been completed, the operator releases the knee plate and both spindles 2 and start up simultaneously. The same brake arrangement is provided for each pair of upper and lower spindles in the frame.

The fact that any pair of spindles can thus be stopped to piece up without causing the other spindles to slow down appreciably is an important advantage from an operating standpoint.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2, four spindles are driven by the single tape 20. It is entirely feasible, however, to drive a larger number, and Fig. 3 shows an arrangement in which eight spindles are driven by a single tape. This arrangement in side elevation wouldlook substantially like that shown in Fig. 1. The tape 20 is driven by the drum 18 in the same manner as in the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and a second spindle has been located beside each spindle corresponding to those shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The latter are designated by the same, but primed, numerals used for corresponding spindles in Figs. 1 and 2, and the additional spindles associated with them are indicated at 2a, 3a, 4a and 5a, respectively.

This idea has been carried a step further in the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 where two additional spindles are associated with each of the spindles originally used, idlers being located between adjacent spindles to guide the tape properly around the whirls of the respective spindles.

It is obvious thatother modifications also may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1. In a twister frame, the combination of two spindles located at opposite sides of the machine frame, two additional spindles located at a higher level and positioned at opposite sides of the frame from each other, a driving drum, and a single tape driven by said drum and running in contact with the whirls of all of said spindles to drive them.

2. A machine according to preceding claim 1 in which each upper spindle is approximately alined in a direction transversely of the frame with the lower spindle on the op-. posite side of the frame therefrom. a

3. In a twister frame, the combination of two spindles located at opposite sides of the machine frame, two additional spindles located at a higher level and positioned at opposite sides of the frame from each other, a driving drum, a single tape driven by said drum and running in contact with the whirls of all of said spindles to drive them, and means for automatically taking up the slack in said tape.

4. In a twister frame, the combination of upper and lower pairs of spindles, the individual spindles of each pair being located at opposite sides of the machine frame, a driving drum located at a lower level than the whirls of said lower spindles, a single tape driven by said drum and running in contact with'the whirls of all of said spindles to drive them, and guide rolls located at opposite sides of said drum with their upper edges approximately in horizontal alinement with the whirls of the lower pair of spindles for guiding said tape between the latter whirls and the drum.

5. In a twister frame, the combination of upper and lower pairs of spindles, the individual spindles of each pair being located at opposite sides of the machine frame, a driving drum located between the lower pair of spindles, a guide pulley located between the upper pair of spindles, and a single tape driven by said drum and running in contact with the whirls of all of said spindles and with said guide pulley to drive all of said spindles simultaneously.

6. In a twister frame, the combination of upper and lower pairs of spindles, the in dividual spindles of each pair being located at opposite sides of the machine frame, a driving drum located between the lower pair of spindles, a guide pulley located between the upper pair of spindles, a single tape driven by said drum and running in contact with the whirls ofall of said spindles and with said guide pulley to drive all of said spindles simultaneously, said tape running from said drum to and partly around said pulley, thence around the whirls of said upper spindles and over the periphery of the V pulley back to said drum again, and automatic tensioning rolls positioned to engage said tape at opposite sides of said drum.

HENRY ROBERT MARSH. 

